Let it go, let it go…sorry. Now it’s in your head, I know. I had to. It’s relevant, I promise. Not the song, but the sentiment. Bear with me. I’ve always been a bit…how shall I put it…uptight. Those who know me best would nod. My sister is probably laughing. (And you can stop now.) It’s been a life long struggle to go with the flow, to be carefree – well maybe not carefree, but more like bamboo – bendable – and less like concrete. I’m a work hard, line-up-the-dominoes and watch them all go down my way type of girl. Motherhood (life itself) continues teaching me that I can’t control it all, or sometimes anything at all!

And that sometimes…sometimes it’s just plain fun to take my hands off the wheel, keep my mouth shut, shove that neurosis under wraps and sit back and watch life in front of me instead of meddle with it. Actually, it’s a lot of fun.

Recently, we spent an evening with our friends on their private beach in the lake community we live in and took some photos of their little one for her birthday at the “golden hour” (all photographers drool now.) The sun was setting, the light was perfect, the air was balmy and the water equally as inviting. In birth order, Gwen, Teagan then Hudson dipped in their little toes, feet, legs, and then the rest, fully clothed. Splash into the sunset. Who could resist?

My first inclination was to freak out…you don’t have your suits on…your clothes are going be soaked…the car seats will be soaked…blah blah…but you know what? What’s the harm? Who cares, really? REALLY? Sometimes I sit back and measure what matters and what doesn’t by remembering something my dad said a few months before he died. He was sick, and knew he wasn’t getting well. We all did, but moved through our days like that wasn’t real. I was bugging out about being late to some event for work, and called him for directions because mine were wrong. I was in full freak out mode. Screeching and all. He said, “THIS is not a problem. Cancer is a problem.” Yep.

Who was I to get in between the pumpkins and a perfect summer night? Get soaked, be happy, get dirty, giggle, swim, smile, watch the sun dip down over the treeline, get to know those warm summer nights that make the feeling between air and water invisible, twirl in the last rays of the day. Live. Know that your mother learned a lesson a while back that keeps things in perspective from a man you never met but who lives on in you.

I’m part of the Mommy Blogger Collective. Each month we’re given a one word prompt to riff with. This month’s prompt is *heat.*

Spring and summer are hands down my favorite times of the year. Why? HEAT. You won’t catch me complaining about balmy summer days that give way to hazy sunsets lit up by fireflies. No way. I can take the heat, and so can the kiddos. There hasn’t been one day we haven’t been in a lake or a pool. I’m tan (tan for me, that is.) Soaking up the rays (with a good sunscreen, of course!) is my mission this summer. I’m storing up all this sunny goodness for the colder months, but we won’t talk about that.

What’s summer look like for us? Drippy melting ice cream cones, long days at the lake, trips to the Jersey shore, fishing with family, paddle boat rides with grandma, sand castles with cousins, catching fireflies at dusk, making new friends, growing taller, tanner and stronger under the sun. This is our summer.

This makes me claustrophobic just looking at it. Next!

Eli, sporting his sister Serena’s shades.

Hudson, mid-sand castle build. One of the moments he was not spiriting toward the boardwalk. Note Gwen’s sun-worshiping pose in the background.

Swimming all day = Gwen’s athletic physique. Who needs a trainer?

Phil, relaxing in between volleyball games.

Point Pleasant Beach hosts competitive volleyball games that happen every Saturday morning and run all day.

Cousins, awaiting the promised ice cream cones.

The promised drippy, melting ice cream cone to end our day at Point Pleasant Beach.

Oma took 3 grandkids for a paddle boat ride at the lake!

New Jersey and pizza. She knows where it’s at.

Sir Charles!

Gwen, fishing with her grandpa.

There are few things that Hudson loves more than fishing with Daddy.

And we watched the sun go down, down, down…

“Heat” is the July writing prompt of The Mommy Blogger Collective. In addition to a monthly writing prompt, the collective hosts a monthly blogger featurette. This month we are featuring Renee of oh renée. A few words from Renée — Oh Renée started as a creative outlet for me a few years ago, a happy place to share creative and fun projects or fashion. Since then, it has evolved into one of the best things I could ever have done with my time! The last few years of blogging have become much more personal to me- more of a way to document this life of mine, with my husband, with my little boy and with the world around me. I enjoy sharing glimpses into our days and sharing in other mom’s lives as well, as part of this wonderful world of social media. Being a mother is better than anything I could have expected! Truly. I call Ohio my home, I keep the joy of traveling and exploring new places close to my heart, i spend my evenings knitting and am never without a book in my hand or in my purse. My blog is much of the same! You can find me on Instagram at instagram.com/ohreneedesign.